With a main focus on umbilical slurry, agricultural contractors, J Strang and Sons, based at Auldhouse near East Kilbride, keep themselves busy all year round.
Having originated as a 120-cow dairy farm, the family has farmed in the area since 1597, but it is now Davie Robertson who has worked alongside his parents, Davie and Doris, to progress the business into agricultural contracting.
Founded in 2015, Davie junior has grown the business from strength to strength. Following the dispersal of the farm’s dairy cattle in 2018, the contracting business now covers areas throughout the central belt from Ayr to Coupar Angus.
What made you want to start contracting?
I always had a keener interest in machinery over the cattle. After leaving school, I gained some experience working for another local contractor before travelling to Canada for six months.
That trip really opened my eyes to how things could be done. After seeing the scale and work environment out there, I was passionate about starting out on my own. I now enjoy the responsibility that comes with being my own boss. That being said, I now employ my dad to help out with tractor work, with plans to consider another employee in the coming years to allow my dad some well-earned rest.
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How has the business progressed over the years?
Back in 2015, I started with a John Deere 6150R. It wasn’t easy at the start when doing slurry jobs, as I was relying on other people to attend to the pump with their own tractors, which could be a headache at times. It didn’t take me long to learn from this.
One year later, I managed to purchase my second tractor, a 6210R, which meant I was looking for someone on the pump. I was grateful when my dad stepped in to help me out after the dairy cows were sold in 2018.
Services on offer?
Umbilical slurry is our main focus, but we do silage cutting and baling using the John Deere R950R and C441R respectively. To keep us busy during the winter we also do snowploughing and winter maintenance.
How long do you keep kit?
I go by the wayside of keeping my tractors running for about four years before switching them up. This avoids too much depreciation before costs in maintenance rise and new tyres are needed.
The 6150R was swapped over the years for a 6155R in 2019 and that has now been changed for a 6R185, and the 6210R was also changed in 2020 for a 6215R.
Predominantly using the 6215R for the John Deere R950R triple mowers, also purchased that year, and to coincide with the SlurryKat HD35 DODA slurry pump as it requires a tractor with adequate horsepower running in a higher gear whilst maintaining low revs.
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Completing the fleet back at the farm is a John Deere 6830, purchased in 2020 this is used for a variety of tasks including slurry spreading, rowing up silage and works with a loader for carting and shifting bales.
What dealers do you use?
Most of our machinery is purchased from S and J Allan based in Ayr. They offer a first-class service and work as a one-stop shop by also carrying out our mechanical maintenance and repairs.
The most recent purchase from them was our SlurryKat 15m dribble bar, which will be a year old soon. The dribble bar came out as the best option for us, as we couldn’t justify the price difference for the ability to penetrate the slurry into the ground with a trailing shoe. The variance in value just wasn’t there for the end result.
Additional equipment includes an NC tanker with a 2000-gallon storage capacity, acquired in 2012 to complete the slurry kit although soon to be changed for one with a dribble bar.
Also, the John Deere C441R combi baler is another new addition as of last year. However, slurry remains our primary service.
What has been your best investment?
The SlurryKat dribble bar with the HarvestLab, as it allows me to turn around at the headlands without stopping and needing to manoeuvre, which would increase compaction on the soil and leave excess slurry lying.
How has contracting changed since you started?
I think as far as slurry goes, it has come to the forefront following the increased costs associated with fertiliser. Previously, slurry was largely considered an afterthought for once the silage was off, whereas now, slurry application at the right time seems to be nearly as important as getting silage done at the right time.
Technology involved in slurry application and how this helps?
Our John Deere tractors come fitted with the HarvestLab 3000 used on the SlurryKat dribble bar. This allows the application rate of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium on a kg per hectare basis to be recorded and monitored. Meaning the rate can be varied depending on the nutrient requirements as a HarvestLab system takes thousands of infrared readings each second.
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The information gathered then varies the forward drive speed of the tractor to ensure an effective and even distribution of slurry. John Deere AutoTrac is also used to ensure an efficient application with reduced overlap or gaps.
Do you think there is a place for autonomous tractors?
Personally, I feel this part of the country lays safe due to the smaller fields and areas of tricky terrain, but I could see them appearing in areas down south in England.
Rate charged for slurry work?
Depending on the ground conditions, we use different umbilical pipe diameters, this in turn varies the price as it means we can work at different rates.
For instance, throughout the winter, we have been working with 800m of five-inch hose, topped with 400m of four-inch. This results in less drag across the field using a lighter pipe.
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However more recently we have switched to 1400m of five-inch pipe, this costs slightly more by the hour but allows between 20-25% more output, although this is only suitable on drier ground.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Probably not much different from the position I am in now. The only consideration I am making now is whether to opt for a remote slurry pump, which would allow me to work away myself, or perhaps employing a worker in the next few years will be an option.
What are your concerns for the agricultural contracting industry?
The price of everything, from machinery and equipment. Set that against the prices we are able to change, and it’s a wonder if we will ever catch up.
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List of inventory
John Deere tractors including 6R185, 6215R, 6830.
SlurryKat 15m dribble bar
SlurryKat HD35 DODA slurry pump
NC 2000-gallon tanker
John Deere R950R triple mower
John Deere combi-baler C441R
Amazone ZA-V 3200 Profis fertiliser spreader
Einbock grass harrow and seeder
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